Hanayuki
by Hanayuki Shizuka
Summary: one flower, one love, and one broken dream...one shot..TezuFuji


Disclaimer: POT doesn't and will never belong to me.

This story is set in the olden Japan, when civil wars wrecked the country, leaving death and sorrow.

Author's POV

Tezuka swung himself up the horse. His lithe body was clasped in the heavy amour. Standing by his horse, was his wife, Fuji Syuusuke. Reaching behind, he took the peony he prepared to give Fuji.

"Here, Syuu, a flower for you."

"Kuni-chan! Arigatoo! Although I would have preferred a cactus…" Fuji sent a teasing smile at Tezuka.

"It is called the king of flowers. And this breed is very rare. See the blood red petal right in the middle? I found it this morning right beside my horse. Could be Fate."

"Really? Let's give it a name. Kunihana? Or should we…"

"Maten…no I have already thought for a name…Hanayuki…the flower snow."

"Soo…kawaii ne!"

"Syuu, promise me, be safe, and wait for my return. The day another such peony appears, we will meet again…"

"Hai…and Kuni-chan…be a coward, for me…"

"Gomen, Syuu, you know I can't…"

With that, Tezuka pulled in the reins of his horse and raced through the small rocky road. Every jarring jolt, he was a step further from Fuji, every tree which flew pass, his heart was a inch closer to Fuji's. Be careful, he prayed.

Fuji's POV

Be careful, Kuni-chan, I prayed.

Author's POV

A year flew pass, Tezuka was not back from the war.

The war ended, and Tezuka was not back from the war.

Another year passed, and Tezuka was not back from the war.

Another year came and again, passed, Tezuka…not back.

Every day, Fuji stood outside at his garden, fingering the dried flower, the blood-red petal shone so clearly in the shimmering air.

Every night, Fuji would place the flower on the other side of his bed. The blood-red petal glittered gently against the pale blue bed sheet.

Every hour, Fuji would murmur a prayer for Tezuka.

Every minute, Fuji would give himself a speech, convincing himself that Tezuka is on his way home.

Every second, Fuji lost hope.

Fate always enjoy the dark misty fog of sorrow, always seems to love seeing a broken-heart lover shed tears for the lost one. Enjoy everything which nourish its twisted sense of humor, and most of all, Fate enjoys the silent cries Fuji locked within his very soul.

Ten years came and gone, Fuji was still there, forever locked in the agony of waiting for his absent love.

Another ten years came and gone, Fuji was still there, forever shelled in the pain of realizing that his love would never come back from the war which ended 22 years ago.

His garden, now a paradise of peony, was filled with all kind of peony. But another Hanayuki, never unfurled its petals within this garden.

He walked along the rocky road which once, 22 years ago, reverberated with Tezuka's departure. And on the road, he saw it. A black lily, nourished by black muddy water, stood sinister yet proud within its little kingdom of pond.

Hanayuki, the flower so white it hurts your eyes, yet the blood-red petal dares to stain it. It should have marred the beauty of the sole ruler of all flowers, but it enhanced the exquisiteness of the whiteness instead.

Beneath the flourishing bush of peony, Fuji knelt. His hand gripped a short blunt blade. With a quick twist of his wrist, he silted his wrist.

His life blood poured from his wound, quickly staining the ground a dark crimson.

The peony sucked up Fuji's blood greedily. As the new flower uncurled its petals, a splash of red was trembling within its heart. Fuji smiled and look beyond the flower.

Lying at the dirt ground now moist from his blood, he whispered something to a specter only he could see.

Fuji's POV

"You are back, finally…after all this time…Don't leave again, please. Hold me Kuni-chan, I am so cold, so…cold…next time I want to be husband, you can be my wife… I don't want to wait anymore, waiting hurts so much…so much I thought I had died the day I knew you would not come back…Don't leave…I found another Hanayuki, my love…"

Author's POV

As Fuji stepped from his earthly body and threw himself into the relief death brought him, thinking he could see Tezuka again, the red splash on the petal quivered and slide off the petal, leaving the peony so white. It was as white as all the rest of the flowers in the bush. Hanayuki didn't appear again. Tezuka never came back before.

A promise that was never heard, a dream never fulfilled. All was but a dream, a prick of reality and all would shatter. So cold, so very cold…


End file.
